Found 1 collection related to United States -- Social life and customs -- 1783-1865

The collection of Augusta Melville papers, 1796-1863, consists primarily of over 500 letters, chiefly addressed to Augusta Melville, sister of author Herman Melville, and members of her extended family and friends. These letters describe in considerable detail the lives and daily activities of the writers, including travel, social doings and health matters. The portion of the collection directly pertaining to Herman Melville consists of eight letters sent or received; a fragment of a manuscript of Bartleby, the Scrivener in an unknown hand; thirty pages of the first draft of Typee in Melville's hand, 1845; and family letters in which he is mentioned. The collection also contains personal and business notebooks kept by family members, an autobiographical sketch by his sister Frances, a brief journal written at sea by his brother Thomas, and family artifacts (trunks and business signs). less